1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a therapy apparatus for treating a subject with acoustic waves, of the type having a source of acoustic waves which is adjustable in at least one degree of freedom with respect to a base part of the apparatus, and which has at least one further apparatus component disposed remote from the source of acoustic waves, and connected to the source of acoustic waves via at least one line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A therapy apparatus of the type generally described above is described Patent Abstracts of Japan C-587, Apr. 21, 1989, Vol. 13, No. 169 ("Extracorporeal Treatment Apparatus"), 63-317151, and in German OS 38 40 077. The apparatus may, for example, be a lithotripter. In this known structure, the distance and/or the relative spatial orientation between the source of acoustic waves and the further apparatus component changes given an adjustment of the position of the source. This means that suitable measures must be undertaken with respect to the line that connects the source and the apparatus component to ensure that the required adjustability of the source can be accomplished without damaging the connecting line. This requires a relatively substantial equipment outlay because the connecting line may be, for example, a high-voltage line which electrically supplies the source, and must not be damaged in any case since such damage will prevent operation of the source, but more importantly such damage may present a risk to the safety of the patient and the operating personnel.